Lindenstrauss Term Extended 3 Months

The Knesset extended the term of outgoing state comptroller Micha Lindenstrauss by three months to allow him to complete the Harpaz report

By Gabe Kahn

First Publish: 6/26/2012, 9:17 PM

Micha Lindenstrauss

Flash 90

The Knesset passed a law extending State Comptroller Micha Lindenstrauss’s tenure by three months on Tuesday.

The expedited vote, which passed 13-1, came despite opposition from the Justice Ministry who cited "constitutional issues."

Lindenstrauss, whose term as comptroller officially ends on Sunday, will be permitted to finish his investigation of the so-called Harpaz scandal.

Meanwhile, Judge Joseph Shapira is expected to assume his post as Israel's new State Comptroller on Sunday. He will work on all topics other than the Harpaz affair.

Shapira will also decide which resources Lindenstrauss will be able to use to continue working on his report.

On Tuesday morning, the Knesset State Control Committee held a meeting to discuss extending Lindenstrauss' tenure, which was proposed by committee chairman Uri Ariel (National Union).

Sarit Spiegelstein from the Justice Ministry’s legislation department told the committee Ariel’s bill defies Basic Law: State Comptroller, which allows each comptroller to serve one term and no longer.

As such, she argued the Basic Law would need to be amended to allow Lindenstrauss' term to be lengthened.

“Reports are prepared by staff and not the comptroller himself,” Spiegelstein explained. “Therefore, there is no reason for the new comptroller to finish a report the previous one started.”